Decorticating machine



June 29, 1943. w. A. BOYCE 2,323,280

DECORTIQATING MACHINE Filed April 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fiji.

INVENTOR William A.Bo5ce HIS ORNEY Jime 29, 1943.

W. A. BOYCE DECORTICATING MACHINE Filed April 15,. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR mm A. B0

HIS

Limb. ORNEY Patented June 29, 1943 ems? DE'COBTICATING MACHINE William A. Boyce, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Anton F. Burkardt, New York, N. Y.

Application April 13,, 1940, Serial No. 329,513

3 Claims.

. My present invention relates to fiber preparing.

tion with a scutching rotor or rotors, or a train of rotors, for mechanically removing the shives from the fibrous part of the stalks. proved device I have devised a new and improved form of apron over which the stalks of fiber are fed from the anvil and with which the scutching rotor or rotors is or are in direct association.

In the present form of my invention, I provide means for reciprocating the apron so as to have relative movement with respect to the scutching rotor or rotors and independently of the rotary movement of such rotor or rotors. Th apron may have its working face lying in a plane or in a curved surface which preferably, for mechanical reasons, may lie in a surface of which the center of rotation of the rotor or rotors is the center. Further, the working surface of the apron may be plain or corrugated, and in some instances it may be desirable to provide the body of the apron lying between the projections which form the corrugations with perforation or openings to facilitate the disposal of the shives which are removed from the stalks of fibrous material.

A feature of my invention, therefore, is an improved scutching machine in which the apron associated with the scutching rotor or rotors is adapted to have a relative movement with re spect to and independent of th rotary movement of the rotor.

Another feature of my invention is an improved scutching machine in which an apron is provided with an arcuate working face lying in a surface of revolution of approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the scutching rotor.

I A still further feature of my invention is an improved, scutching machine in which the apron associated with the scutching rotors has an oscillatory movement with respect to the center of rotation of the scutching rotor.

A still further feature of my invention is an improved scutching machine provided with a scutching rotor having associated therewith an apron, having a corrugated arcuate face, and in which there is provided a plurality of perforations extending through the body of the apron, and which perforations communicate with the In my imdepressions between projections form ng adja cent corrugations.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a scutching machine in which one form of my invention is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. l. m

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a scutching machine similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating another form of my present invention, and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the apron illustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, Il designates one of the side frame members, it being understood, naturally, that there are two side frame members and on top of such frame memberis secured a table or platform ll. Secure-d to the end of the table or platform I l is a plate l2, or-

dinarily of metal, the end l3 of which consti tutes an anvil over which stalks M of fibrous material, such as flax, hemp, ramie, or the like, may be fed by any suitabl crushing and feeding means and which crushing and feeding means prepares the stalks M of fibrous material for the scutchlng operation. Immediately above the plate l2 and adjacent the anvil i3 is a hold down roller IS, the function of which is to hold down the-stalks M of fiber and to facilitate the movement thereof into position to be engaged by the scutching rotor.

Adjacent to the anvil l3 isarranged a shaft 16 on which is mounted a scutching rotor ll provided with a plurality of spaced radiall extending scutching blades I8. The position of the shaft I6 and the diameter of the scutching rotor I1 and its blades I8 is so proportioned. that, as the scutching rotor rotate in the direction of the arrow shown, the edges of the scutching blades l8 will come into association with the stalks 14, as the same move over the anvil l 3 and will break the shives at the portions prepared by the feeding and crushing rolls (not shown, but above referred to).

Below the shaft l6 and parallel thereto is arranged a shaft IS on which is mounted the scutching rotor 20 provided with a plurality of spaced radially extending scutching blades 2|. The scutching rotor 20 with its scutching blades 2| is similar in construction and size to the scutching rotor H with its blades l8, and means (not shown) is provided for rotating the scutching rotors in the direction of the arrow shown and at the same speed as the speed of the scutching rotor ll, so that the scutching blades of one rotor will intermesh with the scutching blades of the other rotor.

Associated with the scutching rotor I1 is an apron 22. As shown, at the ends of the scutching rotor are side plates 23, between which extend the apron 22, and the side plates 23 are, for convenience, rotatably mounted on the shaft I6. On the side frame members I are secured bearing blocks 24 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 25. On the shaft 25 are secured eccentrics 26 which rotate in the eccentric straps 21 formed at the lower end of the connecting rods 28. Formed integral with the apron 22 adjacent the side plates 23 are lugs or ears 29. In each of the lugs or ears 29 is a stub shaft 30 and on which shafts are pivotally mounted the upper ends of the connecting rods 28. Suitable means is provided for rotating the shaft 25, and, therefore, it will be apparent that an oscillatory motion is imparted to the apron 22, and such motion is independent of the rotary motion imparted the scutching rotor I! by the shaft I6.

As shown in Fig. l, the working face of the apron 22 is corrugated, such corrugation being indicated by the reference numeral 3|, and also it will be noted that such working face of the apron 22 lies in a surface of revolution which has a center substantially that of the shaft I6, although any form of surface may be employed. For example, the working surface of the apron 22 may lie in a plane which is ordinarily substantially perpendicular to a radius extending from the center of the shaft I6.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a variant of my invention from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and in which the apron 32, corresponding to the apron 22, is corrugated, the projections of the corrugations being indicated by the reference numeral 33 and with the space between adjacent projections 33 provided with a plurality of elongated perforations or slots 35. In this form, also, the working face of the apron 32 lies in a surface of revolution of which the center is substantially the center of the shaft I6, or may have any of the features of construction above described with respect to Fig. 1. It has been found, however, that the elongated perforations 35 effectively assist in disposing of the shives 36 which are broken from the stalks I4 of fibrous material by the scutching blades I8 of the scutching rotor II. Where the elongated slots or perforations 35 are not employed it is found that the shives 36 will work into the depressions between adjacent corrugations 3| or 33 and will gradually work out therefrom. Such movement, however, is assisted materially by the presence of the elongated slots or perforations 35 and I consider the presence of such perforations an added and important feature of my invention.

In illustrating the present invention, no attempt has been made to show, either a driving member, or the interconnecting means for driving the rotors I! and 20, nor the holddown roller I5, or the shaft 25. Such mechanical means as may be employed, are the usual mechanical means and an illustration or description thereof is not deemed necessary for a full and complete understanding of my invention.

The aprons 22 and 32 intheir reciprocating movement act on the stalks l4 of fibrous material as a scrubbing or wash board. In association with the edges of the blades on the scutching rotor H th corrugations or parallelly arranged projections on the working face of the aprons and because of the reciprocating movement imparted thereto insure that a scutching action is performed on what may be termed both sides of the stalks I4 of fibrous material as such stalks will be in a flattened condition. This action of the aprons, in association with the scutching rotor,

, facilitates removal of shives from the stalks I4 of spaced projections defining depressions in the fibrous material in a very marked manner.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for treating fibrous material comprising in combination an anvil over which stalks of fibrous material are fed, an apron located below saidanvil and over which the stalks of fibrous material pass from the anvil, a scutching rotor provided with blades cooperating withthe anvil and with the working face of the apron to remove shives from the fibrous material, and means for imparting an oscillatory movement to the apron in a path tangential to the surface of revolution generated by the scutching rotor in its rotary movement.

2. In an apparatus for treating fibrous mat-erial comprising in combination an anvil, a ro-' tarially mounted scutching rotor provided with a plurality of spaced radially extending blades about the periphery thereof, an apron having an arcuate working face lying substantially in the surf-ace of rotation of the edges of the scutching rotor blades, the working face of the apron hav-, ing thereon a plurality of parallelly arranged material of the apron between adjacent projections, a plurality of perforations extending through the material of the apron and communi eating with the aforesaid depressions, and means for imparting relative movement to the apron about the center of rotation of the scutching rotor and'independently of the rotary movement of the scutching rotor.

3. In an apparatus for treating fibrous mate-: rial comprising in combination an anvil, a rotarially mounted scutching rotor provided with a plurality of spaced radially extending blades about the periphery thereof, an apron having an arcuate working face lying substantially in the surface of rotation of the edges of the scutching rotor blades, the working face of the apron hav-' ing thereon a plurality of parallelly arranged spaced projections defining depressions in the material of the apron between adjacent projections,

a plurality of perforations extending through the." material of the apron and communicating withthe aforesaid depressions, and means for impart- 'ing a reciprocatory motion to the apron about the center of rotation of the scutching rotor and independently of the rotary movement of the scutch ing rotor.

' WILLIAM A. BOYCE. 

